Bamboo Woods
by JeffC FTW
Summary: The ancient flare of the forest provided sanctuary and comfort - and a false sense of security to camouflage the hidden enemy. Third in the Night Flowers Saga.
1. When the Dawn Breaks

**I decided that the prequel to "The Winds of Spring" could wait, for after I did that very first shot of mine, I began to race mentally with ideas. :D I bring you the sequel which is also named after a beautiful composition by Brandon Fiechter, and it takes place shortly after the night Hanaru Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha consummate their love one month before they wed.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its respectful owner; you know who that is. I only own Hanaru.**

Chapter One

When the Dawn Breaks

" _Hn_..."

Warmth melted his flesh and everything beneath, around his bones, when he roused to awareness, in time for dawn to peek in on him through the window. At some point during the night, the memory fresh as the dew, she must have left him temporarily to open the window and let the sweet spring air come in and wash them with gratification. All his life, he never thought he would find himself being ensnared in the unconditional grasp that this divine female held him in at this very moment.

He, the great Itachi Uchiha, lay naked as the day he was born, with his beloved beside him, laying on her stomach and with one arm wrapped around his body. Having been used to sleeping on his own accord, never in his reality-ridden lifetime did he dream of waking up beside the woman he was going to marry in due time.

Itachi found himself gazing upon the sweet face of his _koishii._ Hanaru's sunny locks - enflamed with lava red - were as bright as her smile which never grew tiresome, matching the one belonging to her brother the _Jinchuuriki_ , and as inferior and common as it sounded, she was the brightest light in all his days that had been deprived from him since the beginning of time. When Sasuke had been born, to hold his baby brother for the first time had brought immense joy, until they grew older and faced love-hate competition while striving to please their distant father. But the natural love for his younger brother wasn't the same as the one he harbored for the younger Jounin who happened to be the elder sister of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Hanaru...she was similar and different in more ways than one with her brother. She always smiled, she put her foot down, and she was the only one to respect Itachi's space. He suffered the same fate as his brother when it came to swooning fangirls. He hated the attention, but he learned to live with it, handled it better than the brooding Sasuke. He had always assumed that with more estrangement from social interaction - and little brother following in his footsteps - he would be all the more disliked, but it only succeeded in marking him as a star in their eyes.

It also brought him this woman whose glorious body mated with his only last night.

Stretching, Itachi found himself looking over his body. His bare flesh tingled with the memory of hers, and certain parts of his anatomy moreso because of the knowledge that because of last night's decision, he was more of a man than he'd always been. Years of war, of his position in the spotlight, the pressures by his father and ANBU, and a heavy lack of true affection hardened much of his mind, heart and soul...but now look at the gift beside him.

If his parents ever learned of this - not that he intended for this to get out, the chances being slim to none - his father would no doubt be far from pleased, but why should he care? Being the youngest captain of ANBU in history, under the Hokage, he nearly lost his life on more than one occasion, and his little flower had come so close to it herself at the hands of the Snake Sannin who was currently locked up at the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility. That demon he loathed with a passion but couldn't kill no matter how much he wanted to.

He closed his eyes. He pulled the blanket off from his body and revealed the rest of himself to his own eyes. Sunlight defined the carved muscles that were honed by years of pain and suffering, his sensitive parts inactive for the time being. Itachi kept one arm around his Hana-chan while his other moved to squeeze a thigh and then trace the curve of his pelvis, near the place where he'd made himself one with her. He was tempted to place a finger on the intimate flesh before deciding against it. Never in his life did he acknowledge his solo need; her touch was the only spark.

The weight of a sweetly soft form shifted against him. "Isn't that supposed to be MY job, my sensei?" a familiar soft voice purred against his ear. He chuckled and turned to look into Hanaru's vivid blues.

"I was intending to do the job for you, my dear."

"So let me do it for you." She boldly went straight for the prize, caressing first the bristling dark curls around his growing arousal. Itachi exhaled and turned his face into hers, heart thundering behind his sternum. _One good way to wake up in the morning._

Suddenly, her body slid down, and her hand was replaced by something wetter and hotter, causing his hips to arch up, moving his pubic section closer to the lower half of her face. She giggled at the tickling sensation the hairs gave her, the vibrations sending more throughout his groin. He closed his eyes and let himself drown in his bliss. "H-Hana-chan," he groaned.

Her cavern suctioned around him and drew him deeper, until the head backed against the farthest reaches and stimulated her gag reflex before it slipped away to the hard wall of the back of her mouth. Her hands roamed over him, from his thighs to buttocks, stopping there to torture him. His spine rushed with shivers, his fingers closing in to grip the sheets beneath him. His body writhed beneath hers, losing control of the spasms she was giving him as he gave her last night...

He might have roared so loud his eardrums didn't catch the proper level when he released into her mouth; she swallowed it all down without disgust.

"You really are loud, aren't you, Itachi-kun?" Hanaru said when she slithered over his body and teased him by rubbing herself against him. He rumbled in his throat and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hehe, you're one to talk," he said, placing a kiss on her nose.

She laughed hysterically. "Shut up, _baka."_

Itachi just about retaliated by reversing their positions so he lay atop her and fully exposed. She had to call him an idiot, but not to offend. The term was used often between two people who knew each other so well; his little brother still called him the phrase, and Sasuke would call Naruto a similar term.

Her hands caressed the contoured muscles of his back and rear end, the latter which made him shift and growl under his breath. Not that he didn't like her touching him there, but the sensitivity was another story. Hanaru was still covered by the sheet between them, so his naked body was at the mercy of her sweet, sensual touches. He deepened the kiss they shared, trying to slip his tongue in to twine with hers, but she resisted. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Explain why the resistance?"

"We have to get up, remember, _saiai?_ " she reminded him. "We can pick up again later."

"Hn...sounds tempting and promising." However, a thought crossed his mind as he slid off of her and moved to pick up his clothes from the floor: _Last night was nothing I would have expected, and already I want to feel more with her...but what if we conceive a child so soon?_ It wasn't that he would object to another Uchiha heir, but to impregnate his beloved one month before the wedding day was something he couldn't afford at the present.

~o~

"Hanaru-sensei!"

She greeted her team right outside Ichiraku's - her brother's favorite place which had been repaired along with the rest of their village after the great battle not many years ago. The three consisted of none other than Hanabi Hyuuga - Hinata's younger sister - Misaki Kimura, and Daichu Yoshido. When her team had been assembled a few years ago, record broke with the first "two girls and a boy" group in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Starting with Hanabi, a promising little one who fared with impressionable excellence. Her skills as a ninja surpassed Hinata. Hanaru Uzumaki had to admit, from what she heard, she wasn't exactly excited to be teaching the younger sister of her brother's girlfriend. And for Hanabi to give her flack about her sister's relationship with Hanaru's brother...

Misaki was a special case for the young Jounin. She was orphaned during the war and had become the adopted sister of Daichu who was also part of her team, and while the two occasionally fought, they harmonized under her tutelage. It was never easy to be an instructor, but Hanaru was confident they would one day amount. She smiled at all three of them when she stood before them with both hands on her hips. "You three haven't started without me, have you?"

Hanabi narrowed her pale eyes. "Sensei, why are you so...cheerful today?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, which could mean more than a few things. Daichu had the habit of taking off his glasses and polishing them.

"Yeah, what happened to you today? Did you see someone last night?"

Her cheeks flushed at the suggestive meaning. They all knew she was engaged to the eldest heir of the elite Uchiha clan, yet it seemed their youthful and sometimes amateurish perverted imaginations got the best of them that they assumed she was meeting someone behind her fiancé's back - which would never happen! She cleared her throat and pulled herself together.

"Absolutely not, and as you all know, it would not be your business," she said calmly. "Besides, my fiancé has returned home for the time being. If the three of you have no more questions, we shall proceed into the forest -" She flashed them all the grin that matched her famous brother's. "- and afterwards, how does the famous Ichiraku Ramen sound?" This did earn the cheers from her pre-teenaged group, much like she, her brother and their friends were not that long ago.

~o~

To stand before Sixth Hokage Kakashi alone was a minor disappointment even though it was no surprise on either part, but it did not make it excusable. For almost half a year now, ever since Orochimaru's incarceration, Kabuto the right hand had not been found. Theories included that he had joined the Akatsuki as a member in his master's place, but it meant nothing unless proven. This Itachi Uchiha settled and closed his eyes.

He wanted nothing more than to see the four-eyed scum join his master in a cold, barred cell at the lecherous facility.

"There are no signs of the rest of the Akatsuki," he said to Kakashi Hatake, clenching his fists, "and certainly no other traces of enemy activity along the borders. But as soon as you give the orders, I will take the cell out for another scout."

The one-eyed man closed his single revealed optic momentarily. "And Kabuto Yakushi?" he questioned.

"Well hidden as far as intelligence points. But rest assured, we are not giving up."

"We can't afford this, Itachi," Kakashi agreed, clasping his hands before himself atop the desk surface. "Orochimaru may be in prison, but there's always a chance that his favorite agent can pop back up at anytime. You have your orders - for you and your team. You are to leave immediately within three days' time."

The Uchiha nodded once without a word and left. Three days was too long for his book, but Kabuto Yakushi wouldn't go anywhere. _Only Hanaru won't be pleased, yet I pray she understands._ He frowned to himself. Why did he worry about how his fiancée would react? This wasn't the first time he was called away unexpectedly. Long before they were betrothed, they knew this would happen.

And yet he could not help but wonder if this would be the last time they saw each other, her losing him one month before the wedding day. This was not the first time to concern himself with this, either.

 **Since I am still in process of planning the prequel, yet to be named, the goal is to have Orochimaru himself be the one to cause the majority of the problems, and right now, what better than to have him in the very same prison where Mizuki himself was incarcerated?**

 **This isn't the last of the story. This whole series is half AU and half canon, so things have changed while others remain the same. I'm not gonna reveal EVERYTHING at once or in a single day. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next chapter. :)**


	2. Flight in the Forest

**Finally, the next chapter. I'd begun another fic, but now I paused it to bring this latest. :) I know it's been only a few days, but it felt like forever. I hope it was worth it.**

 **The holidays coming up are just making things hard, but I swear are NOT hindering me on this. Family drama, you understand.**

Chapter Two

Flight in the Forest

In determining whether Misaki or Daichu were better than the other - it was the job of the sensei to be a tad harsh but still fair - she had to state that Misaki was faring better with hitting the targets placed in the middle of the field. Meanwhile, Hanabi was a little further in the woods if still under the Jounin's watchful eyes, and running up the trees to mark, see how far she would get and exceed each one made. An heiress of the Byakugan, she would fare very well, Hanaru was sure of it.

But meanwhile...

"Misaki, you're still such a show-off!"

"Easy for you to say, brother!" the red-haired girl said hotly, chocolate eyes melting like the actual sweet under the sun. Her kunai nearly struck the white line towards the middle and not far away from the major spot itself. The teacher herself chuckled under her breath as she sat with her legs crossed under the tree. That girl did remind her of herself, and maybe a little bit of Naruto. Someday her brother would be Hokage. She'd been there for him through thick and thin, when they were children and he would have been so bitter without her kindness as the villagers looked at him as if he were the actual fox demon rather than a human being like she was.

Daichu, dark-haired like the handsome Uchiha brothers and the significant other friends of hers and Naruto's, had to wield his shuriken rather than the favored knife and yell angrily as he hit his own target. One outline away from his sister's. "We're supposed to work equally, not best the other! After all this time, I thought we got that down!"

She glared at him. "Yeah, teamwork. That's what Kakashi-sensei taught our sensei's brother and his teammates, and Kakashi himself learned from his own master...we need to stop fighting, don't you think?"

"Yes," Hanaru said when she stood up and crossed over to them, hands behind her back. "The both of you, I don't need to tell you to put your differences aside, but someday I won't have to tell you that." If she said so herself, all Shinobi-in-training had the same attributes in being young and amateurish, but she supposed it varied depending on the environment each individual grew up in. She and Naruto were orphaned, and she barely remembered their parents; Kakashi had been there whenever she needed it as she grew, but he did not meet Naruto until he was officially the Copy Ninja's student later on. So with him as Hokage - for now until Naruto would get his chance - she owed him her life and for everything he'd done as her brother's mentor.

Dare she mention what he enjoyed in his privacy - and shamelessly in front of others - made by none other than Master Jiraiya?

"Chakra control excellent, Hanabi!" she called up, getting the attention of the white-eyed young girl who wrinkled her nose along with her smile. To demonstrate, Hanabi motioned for the work of art - in its own way - she made during each section of the tree, reaching almost fifteen feet high from where Hanaru stood on the ground. Hyuuga blood or not, Hanabi exceeded the average Shinobi expectation like her cousin Neji.

She cupped her hands together before her stomach, just out of habit. "Should hope that one day you accomplish your goal," she said smoothly. "Your sister is strong enough to earn my brother's love. You need to step up your game if you wanna find yourself a man when you are her age."

The young Hyuuga narrowed her eyes. "And what about you, Sensei, hmm? You yourself chose the oldest of the elite Uchiha," she pointed out. Her face had turned red with embarrassment. "Can you at least shut up about mine, please? Boys are just so weird!"

Naruto might be out of control if he could, but he had grown up. Sasuke might be moody and fighting to catch up to his brother - and Itachi was a real man, for he had been through so many things that a young boy could never handle. "Now, Hanabi," she said coyly, leaning forward and almost pressing her forehead against the girl's, "is that anyway to speak to your teacher and future sister-in-law?" In the event of time, Naruto might grow some balls and ask Hinata to marry him, so therefore because she was his sister, that would make her Hinata's sister-in-law.

The child laughed. "That also makes Sasuke Uchiha your brother-in-law next month, Sensei!" She reached up and poked her teacher in the forehead which was mildly annoying, in an affectionate manner, different from the way Itachi did to her and to his brother when he felt like it. Itachi had his means to toy with those he cared about.

"One more month, Hanabi-chan, indeed," a familiar deep, velvety voice replied, capturing both women's attention. Hanaru was surprised to see HIM standing there at this time of day. "Sensei." Using her title was like a mantra on his tongue, silkening her senses. How could he have such an effect?

His face was revealed to her, being off-duty if still wearing his armor. ANBU was one of the village's major pipelines in the system. He had been thrust into it in a time of devastation, the births of his brother and hers at the end of the Third Great War, and she hardly recalled besides the angst and tragedy that her young mind could process but lost over time. Loneliness? _Yeah, much of it. I had friends, a sense of comfort and happiness - but my brother...we hardly had much time together as children, but I did my best for him._

But enough of her and her brother, and the war which left a devastating effect. She looked into shining onyx belonging to the man she was marrying - and it was not a good call, or even social.

"A word with you in private?" he asked with an incline of the head. His attention shifted down to Hanabi Hyuuga who bowed her head respectably and then to her teacher before running off to join her teammates. Leaving Hanaru alone with _him._ He was in front of her in a flash, but less than a foot away so there was limited bodily contact.

This wasn't going to be good, and she knew it. "You have to go back out," she stated, feeling herself fall before pulling back together.

"Yes," Itachi answered plainly, a little sad. "In three days. But alas, I can't tell you what I have to do."

"You don't have to explain. I know you well enough."

He nodded. His tied hair fell over one side, having come undone with a few locks. "But I cannot stop the assumption that this may be the last time we are together. This mission involves someone very dangerous that a life could be taken."

"We're Shinobi; we know to expect this," Hanaru reminded him, her heart going cold, but he interrupted her.

"I know I must put aside my personal feelings, but I want you to know that I must spend the next few days with you as much as possible before I leave. Another issue concerns me that we must...make sure that we leave something behind that really matters." He was leaning in now, his breath hot on her skin as he wanted to kiss her but refrained because of propriety.

"Hanaru, before I leave you, and in case we may never see each other again...I wish to attempt to conceive a child with you."

~o~

 _And yet he could not help but wonder if this would be the last time they saw each other, her losing him one month before the wedding day. This was not the first time to concern himself with this, either._

 _Well, change of plans, it seems. Three days - and we hunt for Kabuto. We can't afford to let him be on the run._

Without Orochimaru even, the right hand wasn't much of a threat, but you could never be too careful. No known activity or even a rumor, much less a sighting, but the scouts would be out to hopefully apprehend him in no time. He would be brought back to answer for helping the near-destruction of the Leaf Village, his master murdering the Third Hokage, and that was as far as Itachi was willing to list at the present. The dark part of himself relished seeing the four-eyed worm wriggle under Ibiki's methods, maybe writhe under the Uchiha's vicious Sharingan...

But first, he could already see the possibilities of a trap awaiting them all. Always a surprise in store. But no matter; he would see it all for the rest.

 _"Hanaru, before I leave you, and in case we may never see each other again...I wish to attempt to conceive a child with you."_

Who ever thought one night was going to throw them both into a cycle of ferocious bliss and desperate need?

The sun was falling when he returned home with her. She was in the garden; he watched from the window with a slight smile. He seldom smiled in front of his comrades or even his parents; sometimes he spared one for Sasuke that the younger Uchiha would return only when he felt so. This time was his light-haired bride-to-be who set everything up in the small bamboo forest just for them as the sky would blanket them with dying day. He found himself playing back their conversation.

 _"Trying to have a child when we aren't married yet?"_

 _"Hana-chan, we have endured many challenges, but I cannot help but have a morbid feeling about our new mission. Covert as it is, I need to ensure just to be on the safe side that we have a little one, so you are not completely alone. You want a face that reminds you of me, do you not?"_

 _"I don't understand why you chose today of all days to bring up the discussion of beginning a family, Itachi. Yes, I want a baby...but what if you make it through like you always do? You are the almighty Uchiha..."_

 _"Being almighty can always run to the thin end of the stick,_ koishii. _I don't relish conception out of a sense of obligation, but we can't be too certain. My precious, while we spare as often as we like, we ought to pick up later as we agreed."_

He saw it all in her eyes, seeing the pressure. Hanaru Uzumaki, the feisty and kind-hearted elder sister of Naruto, was feeling the pressures of an uncertain future as much as he, who had endured far worse than she. His gut clenched with some guilt, but they had come too far down. Last night was magical, for lack of a better word, and he would cherish it always. And now...

His fingers unconsciously found themselves pulling his cloak and garments off until he was completely naked. Itachi had made many bold moves in his life, but physical love along with emotional was a new adventure that he swiftly picked up on with great confidence. His bare feet treaded the grass, the soft breeze raising the goosebumps and tantalizing his sensitive areas. Hanaru did not see him as her back was still turned to him. He was in front of her in a flash, towering and rumbling. "My little _koishii..._ you really shouldn't bend over like that..." He drew each word out in a drawl.

Hanaru huffed and drew herself up to full height, back still facing him. "Now you've turned it onto me," she said jokingly, clenching her dainty but calloused hands, "and used the stealth of the ninja against me."

Chuckling, Itachi pressed the front of his body up against her back, taking her fists into each hand, keeping them in place before releasing and traveling up her bared arms and resting on her shoulders. "The stealth is legend," he said huskily, "but you lack the visual prowess of the Sharingan, my little flower. You may possess the famed Rasengan and all things Wind Style as your dear brother, but the fire of the Uchiha is even more..." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder which he exposed himself. "... _passionate."_

He turned her on, turned her into a wanton little minx in a matter of moments. But it was _she_ who started it last night, so it was obvious who was to blame. He snickered to himself as he gently took the throbbing vein at the base of her neck between his teeth, causing her to hiss like a cat in heat. His other hand moved down to cup the underside of the breast there, feeling how aroused he was making her. She wasn't aware he was fully nude yet, but she would see again soon. Itachi now brought both hands over the front of her body and lowered them to rest over her abdomen, where they would soon create life together. He didn't need to ask if she wanted more; he took his time peeling away her sweet clothes which left some assets to the imagination whilst he took in the tasteful outlines of the important parts that defined her as female. _Everything is all mine._

He turned her around so she faced him, the red-orange sun covering bared flesh with a warm, delicious hue of amber and shooting rays through the small forest of bamboo surrounding them. The smell of the array of candles, consisting of water flowers notably, reached their senses. Below his waist, Itachi tingled with desire for this woman he would give his life for as he would sacrifice himself for the entire village.

The couple shared another deep locking of the lips, gently nibbling each other's lips and twining tongues together, hands caressing muscles and sensitive areas, exploring more territory they might not have discovered the previous night. Until Itachi could wait no longer and took the initiative.

"Come, Hana-chan," he grunted, hoisting her up into his arms and carrying her into the wild so they could begin night one of conception.

~o~

Itachi was gone now with his team. She missed him already, but when she found herself fingering the earth-enameled ring around her finger from him, she tried her best to keep her hopes up that he would be home safe and sound. If any other members of ANBU had family, then they would be just as lucky.

Only as Shinobi, like she told him, they both knew better than to take anything too lightly.

She was in the village picking up some supplies; Hanabi and the others were perhaps off doing what they did best for the day. At least, until the Hokage called for them. The Akatsuki had been quiet since Orochimaru had been apprehended. She sniffed; one of the three legendary Sannin in one of the most volatile and dangerous prisons in the Ninja Nations? _It's where he should be, after what he did to me, to all of us - to Lord Third._

But there was also Kabuto, his favorite little double, and the rest of the malevolent Akatsuki.

She was just coming out of the grocery shop when a familiar hyperactive voice called out to her. "Hey, big sis! _Nee-chan!_ "

She turned, seeing Naruto coming over and smiled. "Hey, there, little brother, what's the hurry?" she asked slyly.

Naruto slowed down once he got in front of her. "Well," he panted, "it's just I need some advice about something." She raised a brow, but didn't say anything. "It's about Hinata. She's well, I guess. I'm little confused about what I should do, and I'm not sure what's wrong with me, and I'm wondering if you had some insight on what it is." He scratched the back of his head nervously and shifted.

Oh ho, so had he been finally picking up the signals from Hinata? Well, then it was about time. Hanaru chuckled as she let him lead the way towards Ichiraku's.

"Are you thinking about...popping the question so soon?"

His blue eyes she shared bulged nearly out of his sockets. "How did you guess?! And keep your voice down, will you, Hanaru?!"

"Sorry." She stifled her giggles. "But what's your plan?"

"Well, I kinda was planning to ask her, since I know I'm ready, but I'm not sure of how I'm supposed to. I mean, she's from the Hyuuga family, and you know they're..." He trailed off there, a tomato blush creeping across whiskered cheeks that was still so adorable.

Hanaru sat them both down at their favorite seats. The smell of Ayame and Teuchi's cooking was heaven as always. "Stiff on tradition, and you want to ask permission from her father," she stated in understanding, recalling her uncertainty as to whether or not Fugaku Uchiha would be pleased at his eldest son's choice of bride. "Believe me, _otouto,_ you're not alone." She rubbed his shoulder facing her affectionately.

"Yeah, but at least Itachi was there for you. I mean, Hinata...I want to make this right, but her dad is kinda...well..." Again, he paused on the last bit. He was nervous and with good reason. The man was proud and protective of his daughters; his reasons were obvious that the man might not give his permission for Naruto to wed Hinata.

As well, Hanaru, his older sister, was the sensei of his youngest, Hanabi. But would that really make the difference?

She was only a toddler when their father died, but if he was still around - and had things been different - he would have sat down with Naruto and have a man to man talk about this, give him more helpful advice, telling him that fathers had the tendency to worry about their daughters' suitors while Mother would encourage him to just go for it and never back down. And Master Jiraiya? _If we both know the Pervy Sage, he would say that the ladies' dads would kill him._

Now that was something that would scare her little brother out of his wits. Hanabi would be having an enormous laugh over this right now if she was with her student right now. That was more than Hanaru could bear.

"Hiashi Hyuuga is a definite worry for you more than just simply asking permission. I hate to say this, but I think he'll kill you for sure."

"WHAAAT?! YOU'RE MY SISTER AND I COME TO YOU FOR SUPPORT, AND THAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN COME UP WITH!" His panicked outburst earned laughter from her as well as father and daughter who came out to greet their favorite customers.

~o~

Sometimes he wondered what was with the bamboo dominating much of the country and others across the ocean. But on second thought, the ancient flare provided sanctuary and comfort - and a false sense of security to camouflage the hidden enemy.

With each leap through the jungle, flanked by the others, a single word to describe their surroundings came to mind, coupled with each symptom in his body. His legs took the strain with impressive speed and relaxation, if he did not want to end up an easy target.

 _Ancient..._

An intake of breath, pulling in precious oxygen to his lungs.

 _Lush..._

His stomach tightened before easing.

 _Green..._

Hands clenched into fists.

 _Mysterious..._

His jaw gritted painfully, threatening to shatter his teeth.

 _Prosperous..._

And now the sweat broke out in every ounce of his flesh.

"Hey, Itachi, is there something wrong? I smell it all off you from feet away," Shisui said when he caught up to his longtime comrade and distant relative. He was not known to make jokes on a serious mission like now, but right now was just between "brothers". It was a serious matter - if you could call private matters serious.

And he was asking him within close range, dropping the code names just for them, which was intolerable, but he and Shisui Uchiha were very close for one of their exceptions. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Shisui," he said quietly. "Just...thinking about something."

"If it is that serious, my friend," Shisui said coyly, "then I should remind you to keep your head in the game like I did in the good old days?"

He chuckled. "Hehe, easier said than done." He sighed. "I never let this get the best of me, but I worry for how this mission will turn out. If I don't come home alive, the wife-to-be is sure to kill me."

The other Uchiha laughed, but without humor. "She is just like the Fourth Hokage's wife, isn't she?" he asked, and they did share a laugh finally at that, agreeing on the spot - before the moment was interrupted when one of the rookies shouted to them that they had company.

At the same time, a flash of silver reached their visions - notably Itachi and Shisui's Sharingans.

"Everyone, assemble!" Itachi bellowed, and all eight of the squad members spread out, drawing their kunai and sought out the source of the hidden attack. The speeding glint returned, and he caught it aiming for him and Shisui; together, they leaped out of the way, resulting in the weapon caught in the tree.

It was a scythe.

"Oh, Kami," Shisui hissed. The others looked on in dismay before recovering at the sight of the white-haired man in the cloak of the Akatsuki.

The man swore when he tried to get his stuck blade out from the dense wood. "Shit, I missed!"

Itachi narrowed his Sharingan-activated eyes. "Hidan." Hearing his name, the immortal Akatsuki blinked and looked straight at him, then to Shisui, recognizing their eyes through the masks and smirked.

"Oh, look: the weasel and the team have come to play. This is gonna be fun, ain't it, _Kakuzu?_ "

 **Nothing but Itachi and Hanaru making the best of their time together before he takes off. As well, Hidan has the foulest mouth that I've ever heard. XD So, yeah, he and Kakuzu are the ones Itachi's group encounters in this AU-verse. Let's see how things play out in the next and FINAL chapter. ;D**


	3. Let There Be Light

**What to expect: Itachi's team vs. the Akatsuki Zombies. XD Bad joke or no? Anyway, don't expect things to be taken lightly, but I don't need to say that. Just enjoy the last of it, read and review.**

Chapter Three

Let There Be Light

 _So...there is the other one. The "Zombie Combo" - a joke of a name, but alas, it is suitable._

Itachi hissed through his teeth. And they had been stunted by _these two._ What rotten luck this turned out to be for them all.

And for a man past his prime but still retained his appearance as if he never aged, his partner the same, Kakuzu - the miserly of the pair - was looking down at them over with the vile glint in his poisonous eyes, the lower half of his face hidden from range. "Now, Hidan," he scolded, "don't get cocky. We need the Uchiha boy alive - or should I say, both of them now?" He drawled out the last four words as though they were relish. "The one we need is worth an enormous bounty."

Yes, because of the defeat of Orochimaru and the fact that Itachi Uchiha was one of the most feared ninja. Itachi Uchiha, the one with the weight on his shoulders from the beginning of the Third Great War, and a legendary reputation for being the only member of the Uchiha clan with the stronger Sharingan powers than that of its ancestor Madara Uchiha - but next to Shisui the Teleporter.

 _A man like me with this skill and determination, but not for glory - no, I do this for my village and my people._

The money-crazed psychopath sighed in agitation. "Only on the others...go wild with them while I take care of the Uchihas."

"Kami," Shisui hissed to him, "Itachi, we have to decide who takes who..."

Oh, he already knew, and so did the other Uchiha. Kakuzu himself with his combinations of Earth, Water, Fire and Lightning Style Jutsus and his lifespans of five times to kill, coupled with the fact that he carried stolen Forbidden Jutsu, would be no match for them. But his partner...

"Leave Hidan to me," Itachi said softly, knowing how risky this would be. Yes, compared to the other one, the worshipper of Jashin - a foreign god whose petty eternal living death religion escaped him - would be on him. He would rather put his life on the line instead of his men and his distant cousin who now looked at him in dismay through the mask. "With your Mangekyo transportation, Kakuzu would be no match for you."

Shisui closed his eyes behind his mask. "On my signal, then," he said to the rest of the squad as second-in-command.

It appeared the voodoo-devoted immortal was the more excited of the two to get his hands on the Uchiha heir himself. "Ooh-hoo, I'm counting on you to give me your best, weasel!" he called out to Itachi, whose lips drew back in a snarl.

"A weasel, am I?" he mocked, eyes blazing red. "Well, we shall see if this weasel can jump you or not - if you can catch up to my every move." _Be warned, fool: the Sharingan is no match for your hunt for blood._

Shisui then gave the signal, and he spread out with the rest of the team to surround Kakuzu, leaving Itachi with the man with the scythe, which was now free from the tree, in time for the Uchiha's katana to come and collide with a sharp, deadly hiss of blades clashing.

Hidan let loose a harsh series of laughs. "Oh, Itachi, I was looking forward to the best part of all of this. I waited for a long time to see you under my influence - Jashin is pleased," he tittered that it enflamed his nerves.

Itachi drew his blade back and leaped in that direction, drawing them both away from the others who had the miser surrounded. "Your 'god' is no match for the power of the Sharingan." He smirked at the other man's face, now flushed mad with rage. His eyes flashed wildly at the insult the Uchiha threw at him.

"Oh, you shut the hell up, you blasphemous bastard!"

"It's blasphemous to use your body's infectious blood to lock onto another and take their will," Itachi returned.

 _Just as I can't let him take a hold of me, can't let him take a sample of mine. If he does that, I am doomed. I'm sorry, Hanaru..._

Then his mind snapped. _NO! No, I won't let her suffer! I won't let myself fall into this!_ It would seem selfish to put his personal feelings above duty, but he placed them both on the same pedestal, no matter what.

Behind them, Kakuzu had used the Earth Style, so his flesh was hard as a rock, now drawing up the sign to summon forth the fires against Shisui's flames which he sent forth from his mouth. Shisui could handle this; Itachi never let his concentration break, but how could one with the Sharingan lose control? He and Hidan tangoed from tree to tree, dancing through the lush bamboo stalks which rose to the heavens - heavens in which one native god and the other a foreign devil watched down on their separate children as they moved a distance away from their clashing partners and focused solely on each other.

They were all supposed to be hunting Kabuto, he remembered. But no, they had to come face-to-face with _these two_ at the wrong time - and it was a consequence he had to let his thoughts wander to their target.

A mild pain - minor because he had worse - in his upper left arm caused him to snap back to attention and pause his attacks, then step backwards so he was many feet away from Hidan, whose eyes gleamed wickedly as he held up his blade which had blood staining the end - _MY blood. Oh, this is it..._

And Hidan was already in the midst of creating the symbol of his god with his own blood. The first step...and the next thing he had to do was ingest Itachi's blood to link them both to doom.

 _My doom,_ Itachi thought grimly.

~o~

It was the next day she got the word that Itachi had returned, Shisui with him, and the rest of the team - but when she heard the rest of the message, her stomach and heart molded together when the latter organ literally dropped from its rightful place, causing the erosion of nausea and horror.

 _Itachi had been fatally wounded and was barely clinging to life._

 _No, ITACHI!_ her mind screamed when she raced to the hospital, her Genin in tow, and her brother as well as the others were there, having heard the news themselves.

"Ow, Sensei!" Daichu exclaimed, pushing his glasses back into place when she halted abruptly in front of him, his sister and fellow teammate.

Hanabi raised her eyebrows as she looked up at her teacher. "Yeah, Sensei," she agreed, but Hanaru held up her hand to them and Misaki, instead keeping her attention trained on the grim faces of her brother, maybe-future sister-in-law, as well as Choji munching on his favorite chips out of sheer anxiety. Kiba was caressing Akamaru's head solemnly; the great white dog was whimpering with his head in his master's lap. Sakura and Ino must still be in there with Lady Tsunade and the rest of the team, doing whatever they could. She clasped her hands together before her stomach - she wasn't pregnant yet, but her guts were still rolling - and tried taking a few breaths, her mind racing.

 _Please, hold on, Itachi. You promised me. Don't you dare die on me..._

It was then and there that she noticed a certain someone was missing. "Where's Sasuke?" she asked when she finally found her voice.

She let Naruto take her into a hug, massaging her back and soothing her like she always did for him. "He's in there. I mean, that's his brother, after all," he said quietly, making her wince a little. Itachi and Sasuke used to be closer when they were younger, but in adult years, they had grown a little further apart because of the elder's reputation for being the prodigy of the family whilst the younger was still striving.

Kiba snorted. "Yeah, but does Sasuke _really_ care?" he asked, snide as ever that it made her snap, but her brother was there before her.

"Oh, shut it, Kiba! That's my sister's brother-in-law and my best friend you're talking about!"

The other man held up both hands as if surrendering, his jerking backwards causing Akamaru to lift his head up and bark once. "Hey, it's not my fault - it's true!" he insisted. "When has Sasuke ever shown any care for Itachi, huh?" And Sasuke also happened to one day be Naruto's brother-in-law, since she was marrying Sasuke's brother, right? Now was her turn to seethe in rage. Both Uzumakis had forgotten they were in the hospital, after all.

Her jaw clenched painfully. Crossing over, she brought down her palm on his cheek. A _smack_ sounded about the hallway. She hoped she got him good. "Shut the hell up!" she shouted. "Sasuke might not show it often, but he loves his brother more than you'd possibly imagine. You don't know the hell my fiancé and future brother-in-law have endured. We all have just been through a great battle not that long ago, took us forever to rebuild this village our founders brought to life - and Itachi had all that weight on him since the beginning of the Third War. You don't call that anything?"

"I believe that is enough for today. You are all in a hospital."

Hanaru whirled with her brother and the rest. "Lady Tsunade! How is he?" she rushed, hurrying up to stand before the beautiful older woman with the ample bosom, marking her as the caring mother type and with such fire. No wonder Sakura looked up to her and became her apprentice.

The former Fifth Hokage's amber eyes were a bit darker, telling her there was a mixed bag of good and bad news. _Oh, no..._

"He's going to live, Hanaru."

Her heart leaped with joy. She found herself leaning in and weeping into the older woman's warm, comforting chest in spite of herself. "Oh, thank you, my lady! And you, too, Sakura!" she said when she diverted her attention to the pink-haired girl who had not long been with Sasuke - but the green orbs matched the worry on her entire face. It was then and there that Tsunade cleared her throat and gently pulled back to look her square in the eyes. Oh, God, the bad news was coming.

"But," Tsunade began, exhaling sharply, "I'm afraid I don't know how to tell you the bad news."

"Just tell her, Granny," Naruto insisted for her.

He was smacked to the back of the head by none other than the lady herself. "Be quiet, Naruto," she snapped. "Something like this has to be handled with care." She looked back at his sister who was obviously still taking a hard time with this - and how right she was. "Hanaru, are you still ready to hear this?" _As if she needs to ask._

Hanaru's throat tightened as she nodded, urging the older medical ninja on. "Very well. He's suffered severe muscle damage and a near devastating amount of chakra, not that the latter is uncommon. There are scars lining his stomach where we performed the surgery, and now a sewn up hole in his lung. But I'm afraid the muscles in his abdomen are nearly shredded beyond repair, so it's likely that part of him will be scarred permanently."

Hanaru was fighting to keep herself together, keep herself strong for her future husband. _At least he's going to live..._ but something far more grimmer was coming her way. "But...what's the worst...?" she asked in a tiny voice, to which the blonde woman sighed again, lowering her eyes.

"I fear you won't take this as well as he won't...but he's slowly going blind."

~o~

 _Hidan was still making his circle when Itachi made his decision at the last minute._

No...it's not too late.

 _This jutsu was going to cost him his life, but it was the last resort._ Amaterasu _would do so much, only burn much of what it could of the black-and-white demon before him. Hidan could never die, but he could be absorbed - or at least hidden and never found._

"Susano'o."

 _And the massive power within was called forth. His muscles erupted with a terrible fire like a centuries-old fissure in the earth, cracking open to release a devastation you never saw coming. He heard himself screaming with the upmost rage as he unleashed the great weapon of the Mangekyo Sharingan onto the immortal man who grinned like the masochist he was but would soon cower away in sheer horror..._

~o~

Looking over her sleeping beloved made her heart crack before melting. He was hooked to machines, wearing the blue pajamas of a patient, and an oxygen mask was over his face. His breaths were steady. Hanaru inched closer until she stood by his side, opposite of his brooding younger brother whose dark gaze criticized her from behind his clasped hands that hid the lower half of his face.

"He will make it," Sasuke said bluntly. Sometimes she couldn't take his attitude, like Naruto at times. But she wouldn't humor him.

"Lady Tsunade told me," Hanaru said calmly, proud inside she was back to her composure. However, a tear slipped down her cheek and burned her skin. She slid into the chair beside the resting Itachi. His hair was still held back, but it looked like it needed cleaning, because no time had been made to wash him up. But when he was a bit stronger - and that was an IF - she would take care of him.

The words of the medical ninja returned with a vengeance: " _I fear you won't take this as well as he won't...but he's slowly going blind..."_

"His life is over," she wept, taking her lover's hand into hers. "He won't go into battle anymore, he'll always need help doing the simplest of things...our child will grow up with a handicapped father..." _When that time comes, but he's here as I prayed he would be..._

Her future brother-in-law raised both eyebrows and sat up straighter, hands on his knees now. "Hn, I know. He's an idiot for using the fatal Susano'o. He knew the risk of using the Mangekyo's power; if he overdoes it, his blindness is assured."

 _It'll take awhile before he heals completely. Just be by his side when he needs it..._

But that was far from reassuring. It wasn't enough.

Shisui Uchiha said that the mission was covert when she tried talking to him before coming in here, but right now she was sick and tired of hearing those words. She wanted to know what exactly happened to her lover. Covert or not, she wanted to _know_...or maybe talk to Itachi instead. It might make things worse for him since he nearly DIED, but this was their future they were talking about.

Hanaru found herself looking at the younger brother whose impassive expression had not changed at all. "Sasuke...tell me more about Susano'o." If it was that dangerous, then she deserved to have all the intel whether it was confidential or not.

He glared at her for a moment before it softened, and he gestured for her to come around the bed. She sat down on Itachi's side before Sasuke, who began to regale her with the terrible side of the Mangekyo Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.

~o~

He heard the voices when he roused back to awareness, flinching when he felt needles through his skin and in his veins. He was bandaged in places; he also felt the familiarity of stitches in his flesh - particularly in his abdomen. Common sense insisted he not move too much if he wanted a permanent scarring following the opening of the sutures.

But that was not the half of it: when he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but a blur. He tried blinking, but it didn't clear. It could mean only one thing.

"Oh... _Susano'o_..."

It wasn't long before he realized he wasn't alone; the voices were there, answering in unison. "Itachi!" Followed by a sweet, flowery accent that made his heart flutter before dropping when reality set in. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"My love! Oh, Kami, I was..." Hanaru's voice cracked. "I don't know how to tell you, but Lady Tsunade said you were going..."

"Blind, yes," Itachi answered, wishing he could see her even though this was inevitable. The memory of the Susano'o sword lingered on his mind, of striking through Hidan's heart and pulling his very existence into the core of the Uchiha's greatest weapon. Saving his own life as well as the others - but Kakuzu with his five hearts was getting the drop many times on Shisui and the team...but not with Shisui having anything to say about it in terms of knowing where each heart was. That was two less Akatsuki to worry about now.

Her outburst was no surprise to him. "How could you go that far to use it?!" Her voice remained low within the hospital walls, but the agony and anger was still there. He sighed. _Sasuke was telling her._ Now that he knew his younger brother was here.

"Because it was necessary, _koishii._ The opponent I faced was beyond what you could handle; Susano'o was what I had to do. I'm afraid I can't go into too much detail because -"

"Itachi," Sasuke bit out in irritation, "you realize what you have done to yourself and almost to her."

He turned his head in the direction of his brother's voice and narrowed his darkening eyes. The outline of Sasuke was frustrating. "You know as well as I why I had to, little brother," he said tightly. "Losing the light is a price to pay for a necessary action. But because of the unfortunate encounter, we were unable to find our intended target."

"Kabuto." Hanaru didn't need to be kept in the dark about this. She inhaled. "Those two you and the team came across...they were _those two,_ weren't they?" she asked carefully, having met Kakuzu and Hidan once before with him. Itachi closed his eyes and rested his head back on his pillow.

"Yes."

There was the sound of Sasuke shifting forward in his seat. "The zombie immortal with the repulsive god was absorbed," he stated, a hint of relief and pride present now. "I owe you that much credit then, _aniki._ " Itachi felt his lips pull at the corners in a slight smile.

Hidan and Kakuzu were taken care of...but they failed to find the one wanted most on the list. He knew that Shisui was speaking to the Hokage at the present, and it was not going well. He knew it good and well. After he collapsed with agonizing numbness, he faintly recalled being picked up into the arms of one of the others but was unaware of what was happening as he lost consciousness, praying they would find Kabuto...

"Itachi..." _Oh, she is going to burst._ "...if it wasn't for the fact I'd probably disturb everyone in this hospital..."

And then the eruption caused him to flinch as his eardrums rang with his fiancée's rage.

"...YOU'D NEED SURGERY TO FIX YOUR EARS WHEN I'M DONE SCREAMING AT YOU FOR THE STUPIDITY YOU'VE ENACTED! YOU'VE NEARLY GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED FOR THE LAST TIME, UCHIHA! THE SECOND YOU ARE DISCHARGED FROM THIS HOSPITAL, YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO KAKASHI AND HANDING IN YOUR RETIREMENT FROM ANBU, ARE WE CLEAR?!"

"Hana-chan," Sasuke scolded through his teeth, "must you shatter our senses with your Uzumaki ranting?"

Itachi chuckled. He was used to being yelled at, cursed at, and Hanaru's temperament was nothing new...but then she spoke of his _retirement from ANBU Black Ops. She fears for my life more than ever now that she wishes for me to leave the operation I spent my entire life serving._ But before he could speak, she was letting loose her wild side on Sasuke, which was usually the job of her younger brother.

She hissed at him. "Be quiet, Duck Butt _teme_."

Sasuke reeled. "What the hell is with you and Naru-dobe calling me that?" his brother countered, until he finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough, the both of you," Itachi said firmly, clenching the blankets with both hands, his mind having more on its plate than before. " _Koishii,_ what do you mean - why do you wish for me to retire?" They hadn't discussed that since they'd begun their relationship, which wasn't that long ago.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her hand rest atop the back of his. Her soft touch did little to calm his frazzled nerves. "Because you are going blind," she said, softly if still a bit harsh, "and you've spent your entire life out there, risking your life. Don't you think it's time you settled down? You ought to be better off as a teacher like me, like I always told you." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his temple, but he found himself drifting elsewhere.

 _Father will be most displeased about this...but yes, I have done so much for the village. More than enough..._

~o~

Maybe she let her heart get the best of her better judgment, but no longer did she care. They'd been on the battlefield enough - or should she say HE had been on the frontlines long enough? Hadn't he served the family name enough? She wasn't going to be harsh on his service to their people, because she would never abandon her ideals. She wasn't asking him to do this; she was asking him to just put himself to rest.

She wanted him to settle down with her. _He's done his part. I don't want to lose him anymore. It's time he settled his life down..._ Her heart sank when she found herself looking at the beautiful gown that was waiting for _that day_ in a couple more days. Tomorrow he would be discharged from the hospital, and she had to go soon.

 _...but he's been without his sight since that day. He's lost it, but he's getting a new one soon._

Imagine the look on Lady Tsunade's face when Sasuke and Shisui explained to her what a dire situation it was with Itachi losing the light in his eyes, explained the macabre story behind the Uchiha's ultimate ability which dated all the way back to its ancient leader, none other than one Madara Uchiha who had once been alongside Tsunade's grandfather, the First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Dare she add that Itachi's damning words sealed his and his brother's fates?

 _Unless you awaken your Mangekyo soon, I will lose my light forever._

Hanaru closed her eyes. Today was the day that Sasuke would do what his brother wanted of him.

Or should she say, _tonight_ was the _night_?

By leaving soon, she had to go meet up with Misaki, Hanabi as well as Hinata, Sakura, Ino and Tenten to make the final arrangements with the wedding in a couple days. _Itachi will come home the day before the wedding..._

Her heart could not stop beating for the entire day and into the night, no matter how hard she tried to focus on the positivity instead of the uncertainty. Hanaru might as well have lost sleep that night just thinking about how the procedure could go wrong no matter how Tsunade's capable hands did their best. If Itachi died, or if Sasuke permanently sacrificed his vision for his brother's sake...all hope was lost.

But by the next morning, she was proven wrong.

When Itachi and Sasuke both disembarked through the entrance door, the light was shining in both their eyes. Delicate as it was, Tsunade really did perform a miracle. Sasuke took an enormous risk to help his older brother, and to see her beloved Itachi revived made the future brighter.

At first, Hanaru considered talking to him about the decision to hand in his retirement to the Hokage, but that would wait until after the wedding. _Our happiness comes first, worry about the rest later._

She threw her arms around him, and he spun her around, kissing her long and deeply in front of passerbys and their friends and comrades nearby.

The wedding was the next day atop the Hokage's mansion. Kakashi was there, and so were Tsunade and Shizune. So were Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke - most of the Uchiha clan - and the rest of their friends. In old times, marriages were made in the old-fashioned _omiai_ which was arrangement according to the bride and groom's families, but this method which was more modern was the _ren'ai,_ which was the bridal pair's free will. Hanaru Uzumaki tried not to cry as her geisha-styled makeup had taken hours to apply. Her hair had been greatly fashioned behind her head; her sakura-painted kimono was tied over her underdress patterned with lotuses. Escorted by none other than Master Jiraiya, she was brought towards her groom awaiting for her in front of the _torii_ placed, the ground strewn elegantly with pastel blossoms and lanterns held by the guests. The sun was setting on their happiness.

Itachi...oh, she would never forget how handsome he was in his black _haori_ which had his family crest behind the back, as always. His hair elegantly out of the way, filled with so much light in his eyes if his face did not betray his emotions. It seemed only she was allowed to see his feelings in his onyx eyes.

The purification ceremony was out of the way, so they were blessed and then announced to the gods, followed by taking turns sipping three cups of sake - this was the _sansankudo_ service. And onward to the end which bound them together until death did they part.

 _As long as we both live,_ Hanaru _Uchiha_ vowed to the heavens, never taking her eyes off of her new husband, whose lips she laid her own upon when the priest blessed them both as man and wife.

"You may now kiss the bride."

 **My boyfriend was super involved in this the whole time; I could not have done this without him. :) It was EXTREMELY difficult to bring to life the fight between Itachi and Hidan; even more was to help him survive and to change around a bit the procedure of the Mangekyo Sharingan eyes between him and his brother. Everyone knows what transpired in the original anime, so you all know how that went.**

 **I did my research on a traditional Japanese wedding, and anyone familiar with the traditional steps recognizes. :) This type of ceremony was a whole new area for me, but it was still fun to bring to life between Itachi and Hanaru.**

 **That is not the last of it, ladies and gents. The prequel I promised, which will be titled "Night Flowers", will come in the near future, but I don't know when I will do it. In the meantime, I'm giving my full attention to a Sasuke and Itachi fic called "Brothers in Blood and Bond".**


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